How to Combine Features and Benefits in Product Copy

You know the size and color of your product, what it’s made of and what each little button does. But none of this helps customers understand why they should buy it – that is, unless you explain it to them.

Consumers are being marketed to all the time, but they’ll only buy the things that save them time or money or otherwise make their lives easier. That’s why your copy needs to tout the features and benefits of your product.

Features and Benefits: What’s the Difference?

A famous urban legend says the new CEO of a drill manufacturer told his sales team they were no longer selling the drills, but the holes that the drills produced. That’s the best way to differentiate features from benefits.

Features are the elements of a product that the consumer can see, feel or measure. The benefits are the end results of those features. 

A cookware company, for example, could talk about the features of green cookware, including materials and cooking time; or it could talk about the faster cooking time, ease of cleaning and environmental sustainability.  Which list do you think matters more to the consumer?

How do I Combine Features and Benefits?

The best sales copy combines features and benefits to attract the consumer and make the product seem indispensable. Try it for yourself by following these tips for writing copy that sells:

Open with the End Result

People have a need, and your product meets it. If you open your marketing copy with that premise, you won’t have to work to keep your reader’s attention; they’re already anxious to know how you’re going to solve their problem. 

Open with the end result and readers will stick around to learn how your product will achieve it.

Show the Link between Features and Benefits

Every feature produces a benefit, but the consumer won’t know it unless you make the connection. The best way to do this is to make a bulleted list of the product’s features and the benefit that comes from each. When mentioning the cookware material, talk about how it cuts cooking and cleaning time. You’ll explain what the product does, which makes it that much more attractive to the potential buyer.

Don’t get too Technical

When talking about your product’s features, make them easy to understand. Use simple numbers and stay away from technical jargon. Otherwise, potential buyers will get confused about what exactly they’re buying, and that will undercut the benefits you’re trying to promote.

Spell Out the Benefits!

Your product is meant to make your customers’ lives easier or more affordable, so spell out how it does so. Talk about the end benefits of your product and watch it fly off the shelves.